Improvement in wood-bending machines



NrTnD STATES ATENT einen.

-FRIDOLIN SMITH ANDv 'PETER SWOPE, OF TIFFI,N,'O}[IO..

IMPROVEMENT IN WooD-BENDING MA'oI-IINES.

Specification forming of Letters Patent Nofd 6,59 l, dated February 2d, 1865.

f tion, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of one side of our machine bending a strip of wood. `Fig. 2 is an elevation ot' one end of our machine. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through ,the machine, showing the position of the bending contrivances when a strip of wood is bent to its fullest extent. Figs. 45, and 6 show the 4construction of .the device about which the -wood is bent. Fig. 7 is a section through one of the bending or holding heads, showing themanner of attaching the strip of woodto be bent to it.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several ti gures.

' 'This invention relates to machineryfor bending wood for fellies and other purposes. A

It consists in a contrivance for holding the Wood, and supporting it throughout its entire length during the bending operation, in conjunction with expansibleblocks for securing the patterns within the machine and admitting of their ready removal therefrom, as will be hereinafter described.

It also q'onsists in sustaining the ends of the wood during the act of bending lit by means of clamps applied to movable heads, as will be described.

It also consists in so applying the patternl about which the woodis bent to the framework of the machine that it can be elevated or depressedor removed from the machine at pleasure, and when in immediate use confined in place to receive the strip of wood which is bent about it, as will be hereinafter described.

To enable others skilled in the artto make and use our invention, we will describe its construction and operation.

l In the accompanyingdrawings,A represents the upright portion of the frame of our machine. A are the sills which constitute the foundation of the frame, and A2 AZ are curved braces, whichl also serve as lateral guides for the horizontal bending-heads, to which the Fig.`

ends of the stri-p of wood to be bent are secured. B B .are two horizontal transverse. drums, which are supported upon longitudinal braces of lframe A, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. These drums are arranged side by side, and are geared togethen by means of spurwheels a a, so as to rotate in opposite directions, when actuated by the main shaft b,throngh the medium of pinion-wheel b and large wheel b2. Chains c c c c pass around' said drums B B,

and connect with the bending heads C C, towhich the ends of the wood to be bent are secured,as will be hereinafter described. These heads C C are connected together by Ineans ot two sheet-metal st-ra-ps, d d', the lower one of which is securely pivoted at its ends to the ,E

lower sides of the heads C C, as shown in Figs. l and 3, while theA upper'strip, d, which lies on the lower one. d', is connected at its ends to the. heads C (2,115! meansof clamps e e, as`

follows: A recess is made inv each head C to receive the end of the strip of wood tobeI bent, and the ends of strip d'. are bent so as to lity into said recess and pass out overl the ends of the strip g, as shown in Fig. 7.` Those ends of the strip projecting out from th-evhea'ds C C have Ihooks e e pivoted to them, which receive/cross-bars ff of -a clamp-screw, ff, for -contning the parts in the position shown in Fig. 3. 1

Th'e patterns F, about which the -wood is bent, are semicircular, as shown .in Figs. 1, 3,:and 4, and have a brace-bar extending across and secured to their ends, so as to leavea space within them to receive solid blocksGG. These blocks are adapted to iit snugly within the pattern F, 'and they are pivoted together at their lower ends, as shown in Figs. 4. and 5, so

'th at by meansv of a right-and-left screw, h, or

other equivalent contrivance, their upper ends can be forced apart, and thus prevent the curved, or semicircular pattern F from yielding during the'actof .bending astrip of woodupon it. Both blocks G -G are attached to an inner frame-work, A, by means vof vertically-grooved portions, j j,' which arev guided by the upright posts held in place and A4.

,The pattern F can be removed'at anytime by det-aching the @holding-downv bar la, and loosening or contracting the blocks G, when a pattern of a different or ofthe saine size can lie.a1')pliedto said blocks and clamped rigidly thereon by spending out these blocks, as bclore. described.

0n top ofthe frame A and in the center thereof is a drum or windlass, H, provided with a crank, and also a ratchet and pawl, as shown in Figs. l i and 2. This drum H is connected by means ot' a cord and chain, or either one or the other, to the slottert portions of the expansible blocks G, and when the holding-down bar k is removedthe block G, together with the pattern F, can be'elevated and sustained in an elevated position by the drum Il and its pawl. The bar k is inserted into the frame A4 at one end, and, passing over the horizontal portion of' the pattern F, its opposite end is forced down by means of the vertical piece K. (Shown in Fig. 1.) v

rI he operation of our machine is las follows: The strips ot' wood to be bent are previously steamed and secured at their ends to theheads c c, as above described. The pattern F, ofthe required size, is confined in place around the expansible blocks G G, and the whole areconiined in place by means of the rod k and brace k. The strip of wood g which is to be bent should be confined centrally under the pattern, so -that both heads c c will rise to the same height above. the pattern when confined,

' as shown in Fig.

y Thc'wood to be bent being applied to the machine, as above described, the operator turns the drums B B and winds up the chains c c,`thus drawing up the heads G C and bending the wood about the pati ern, after which the clamping-rod j is used to retain the parts in the position shown in Fig. 3. The clamping-scrcwj" being connected to the hooks 6^ e ofthe strip d', between which latter and the pattern F is the bent strip g, it will be seen that bylloosening the clamps `e c the heads C C can be detached from the strips d and g, leaving the latter confined to the pattern F, which is now removed from the machine by loosening the heads G G and remoring-the holding-down bark. Another pst tern is now applied to blocks or heads G G,

and another 'piece of-wood tobe bent is confined to the heads C C by means of the clamps e e, 4as before descri'. when theoperation of bending is again gone through with.'

When the strips of wood which were bent about the patterns F, as above described, are

applied in their places. This is done when'the patterns F materially diifer in size. Having thus described our invent-ion, wh at we claim as new, and desire to secure by Let 1. Securing the patterns- F in position to receive the strips g of wood as they are bent by meansof expansible blocks G, substantially as described.

2. So applying the pattern-holders G G to the frame oi.the machine that they canbe elevated or depressed, and held down firmly. ,y

in place to receive the strip ot' wood as it is bent, substantially as described. y

3. The bending hea-ds C O, in combination with the strip d and detachable strip d', when used in conjunction withv a pattern, F, and expansible holders G G, substantially as described. f' I 4 1 4. The arrangement of thehooks e e', strip d', and adjustable clamp ff', in combination with the bendingdevices described,'and the removable pattern, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

FRIDoLI-N' s-M'ITH. v PETER SWOPE. Witnesses GEo. C.' SMALL,

H. NOBLE.- 

